Food for Thought: Can you master your family’s food bill?

Tuesday

Weekly food rail, with items on "Family Feasts for $75 a Week," tips on preventing kitchen fires, a review of Slender Wines, and more.

The Dish On …

“Family Feasts for $75 a Week” by Mary Ostyn

Staying within a budget these days is a hard act to stick with, especially if you have a family of four or more. If you can master your spending in just one area -- your food bill -- you will greatly expand your spending options for other, more rewarding areas of your life.

Learning how to compile grocery lists, compose weekly menu plans, and shop less will not only save money at the register, it will also save you time in the store and in the kitchen.

Written by blogger mom and penny-pincher extraordinaire Mary Ostyn, who prepares three meals a day for her family of 12 for $800 to $900 a month, this book is stuffed to the gills with expert, in-the-trenches tips on savvy food shopping, plus 200 delicious recipes for homecooked meals that make the most of economical ingredients.

Directions:
Melt the fat (or Crisco) in a large frying pan. Sauté the onions and garlic until tender. Add the livers and cook until done (no longer pink inside). Serve with toothpicks and the eggs in a bowl on the side or grind (minus the egg) in a food processor for a paté.

-- Canton Repository

Tip of the Week: Prevent kitchen fires

The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Here are some tips from the agency to prevent fires:

- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.

- If you are simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you're cooking.

- Stay alert. To prevent cooking fires, you have to be alert. You won't be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.

Did You Know?

A Worchester, Mass., man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for threatening a man in a city park and then stealing and eating his hot dog.

Critics' Cupboard: Slender Wines

Big news, wine lovers — Slender Wines are here!

This new product from Chateau Thomas Winery in Indiana is meant for “figure-conscious people and diabetics to consume because it uses a natural sweetener that contains no sugar, no carbohydrates, no fats, and 0 glycemic index.”

The active ingredient is erythritol, the winery says, a naturally occurring sweetener.

You would think a product that is all about being “slenderizing” would promote the calorie info on the bottle. Nope. Nor is it listed in the literature or on the Web site. And company spokespeople did not return my request for calorie information.

That aside, how does it taste? Sweet as sugar water.

-- Jennifer Mastroianni, Canton Repository

Food Quiz

Which of the following vegetables has a licorice flavor?

A. Belgian endive
B. Fennel
C. Chicory
D. Radiccio

(www.funtrivia.com)

Answer is at bottom of column

Wise to the Word: Hibachi

Hibachi (hih-BAH-chee) is Japanese for “fire bowl.” The device is a small, cast-iron container that holds charcoal. A grill sits on top, ready to cook a variety of foods.

Hibachis come in many sizes and shapes. They became popular in the United States in the 1960s for their portability. They run from about $10 to more than $100 depending on size.

-- Canton Repository

Number to Know: 25.9

Grams of protein in one cooked Alaskan king crab leg – calorielab.com

From the Beer Nut’s Blog: Finding a bargain

Recently I made a bargain-basement find: Allagash Curieux for $7.99 for a 750 ml bottle. This is a great price. Usually the Curieux runs more than $15 a bottle.

If you’ve never had the Curieux, it’s a great beer. It’s Allagash’s tripel, aged in Jim Beam barrels for eight weeks. It’s a mighty tasty and complex brew.

Have you ever found a similar bargain? I usually take a look at discounted beers at liquor stores. Managers will put aside beer that has been on the shelves for a while. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a beer that is perfect for aging, so the age won’t bother you and you can get a great beer at a decent price.

To read more from the Beer Nut, visit http://blogs.townonline.com/beernut/

Food Quiz Answer

B. Fennel

GateHouse News Service

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.